Closing out the semester with a little Christmas cheer

As school draws to a close the air grows crisper and the days shorter, students are overwhelmed by the feelings of elation that only Christmas can bring. Dorms are filled with the smells of fresh pine, warm sugar cookies, and hot chocolate. Carols are heard echoing down the halls accompanied by the tinkling of bells. Chapel services are filled with the stories of Jesus’ birth and classic Christmas songs. Our school’s president can be seen reading The Night Before Christmas to a group of students sitting anxiously at his feet, their eyes are filled with wonder as they reminisce about Christmases past.
Students leave their dorms wrapped in thick sweaters and wooly scarves to brave the cold that waits just beyond their front door. When students look out their windows in the early mornings before classes start they are greeted by a layer of frost that covers everything within eyesight. The trees and lampposts begin to look like carefully crafted ice sculptures, as if overnight the world had fallen to a standstill. Conversations carry across the quad filled with excitement and plans of seeing families. At each hour their voices are drowned out by the sound of the clock tower ringing, playing signature Christmas songs that echo between the buildings and reach every building on campus. As each day fades to night campus comes to life, bathed in the glow of the lights strung from the buildings, creating a halo of warmth.

Finals are just around the corner and students scramble to study and finish final assignments before going home. Everyone on campus is bombarded with the thoughts of home and family while juggling last minute school tasks. As students say their final goodbyes to their friends they make promises for the year to come. As another year ends, the promise of another new beginning is just around the corner.